


Just a friendly kidnapping

by Ceciliedr



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Banter, Batbrothers (DCU), Batbrothers (DCU) Bonding, Bickering, Brotherly Bonding, Confusion, Family, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Kidnapping, Secret Identity, Sibling Bonding, Teasing, Tim Drake Needs Sleep, Tim Drake Needs a Break, Tim Drake is Robin, Undercover, and, hints of angst, it's a friendly one, like a tiny bit of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27169576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceciliedr/pseuds/Ceciliedr
Summary: Jason decides drastic measures are in order, when his workaholic little brother refuses to take a day off. Tim is going on vacation whether he wants to or not.As always the bat’s antics confuse the hell out of the team. Especially since Red Hood is officially a highly dangerous wanted criminal.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Comments: 84
Kudos: 790





	Just a friendly kidnapping

**Author's Note:**

> In my recent one-shot; Everybody screws up sometimes. Jason thinks about kidnapping Tim to make his younger brother finally take a vacation. Well, that idea wouldn’t leave me alone and this story was born.😅
> 
> Heads up; I have watched the Young Justice cartoon, but most of my knowledge of the bats stems from fanfiction.

Tim is neck-deep in a case, fingers flying over the holographic keyboard when something in the room changes. He hasn’t heard anybody come in, but every instinct screams that he is no longer alone. 

Tim spins around in his chair when he senses someone behind him. Hand stopping its move toward a birdarang, when he recognizes the red helmet and the person it belongs to. 

Tim lets out a breath, tension bleeding out of him.

“Hood.” He greets, not managing to keep a tired edge out of his voice.

“Heya babybird, nice setup you have here.” Jason gestures around the giant cave. “Made some upgrades since my time.”

“You can’t be here.”

“I’m done with the undercover work. So I officially don’t give a shit who knows what.” Jason points at him. “You need a break.”

Tim waves him off “I’m fine.”

“When was the last time you took a vacation or spent a day doing nothing?” Jason crosses his arms, staring him down.

“I’m busy,” Tim says, like his crowded schedule somehow slipped his brother’s mind.

“You’re always busy.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s about damn time you took some time to rest up.” Jason is looking him up and down critically. Tim is just happy the domino mask hides the black circles under his eyes.

“I’ll take a vacation when the criminals and supervillains decide to do the same.”

Jason lets out a huff “the world isn’t going to end because you’re gone for a week or two.”

“If someone gets hurt and I could have helped-”

“Who are you, Atlas?” Jason rolls his eyes. Despite the helmet, Tim would recognize that gesture anywhere. “Stop trying to carry the world on your shoulders.”

“Someone has to.”

“Which is why there is an entire superhero community to split the load.” He gestures once more to the cave around them. “So get that stick out of your ass and let’s get going.”

“No.” Tim crosses his arms and scowls up at his brother. Not caring that it makes him look like a petulant child.

“No?”

“No, I’m not going. I have things to do, cases to finish.”

“Oh no you don’t. You little workaholic.” Jason is wagging a finger at him. “We are going on a vacation whether you want to or not.”

“You can’t force me.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” Before Tim can do much more than recognize the dangerous edge of Jason’s tone, he is tackled out of his chair.

Tim puts up a valiant fight, but Jason has more weight on his side and has always been better at groundwork. In an embarrassingly short time, Tim is on his stomach, getting his hands tied behind his back. Before Jason does the same to his ankles.

Tim tests the bindings, but of course they are expertly done. Not too tight as to cut off his blood circulation. But they also leave him with absolutely no wiggle room. Jason turns him on his back once he’s done.

“I hate you.” Tim glares daggers at his older brother.

“You will thank me later.” Jason is grinning at him, resulting in Tim showing his own teeth in a much more menacing grimace.

“You are so going to pay for this.”

“You’re going to change your tune as soon as we get on a beach.”

Tim rolls his eyes. “There is a beach right outside the mountain.”

“And I bet you have never been.” Jason gets back on his feet “being dragged there by Wing hardly counts.”

Tim gives glaring him down another try “let me go.”

“Not happening Replacement.” Jason’s voice is full of glee as he bends down and hoists Tim over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. 

“This is humiliating.” Tim buries his face in his brother’s back, leather jacket smelling faintly of smoke and gunpowder.

“I gave you the easy option. Not my fault you didn’t take it.”

“I could scream for help.”

“And have the team see you like this?” Damn him, Jason has a point and he knows it. Tim mutters curses under his breath, ignoring how Jason’s shoulder digs into his stomach with each stride towards the exit. His brother laughing at Tim’s more and more creative threats.

They are halfway out of there, going down a hallway, when a shout cuts off Tim's detailed descriptions of what he’s going to do to Jason's safehouses in retaliation.

“How did you get in here and what are you doing to Robin?”

Tim recognizes the voice as belonging to Beast Boy. He also hears the sound of Blue Beetles canon firing up.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Jason asks, because of course he has to provoke them.

“Put him down.” Blue demands.

Jason shakes his head. “No can due, Rob here has an appointment he can’t miss.”

“Just let me go you moron.” Tim hisses, because the damage is already done and it can only get worse from here.

“You’re not getting out of this that easily Replacement.” Jason’s answer is likewise too low for the others to hear.

“Put Robin down and back away from him. We are not going to ask again.”

Tim really wishes he could see more than Jason’s leather jacket and the cave floor beneath them. He hates being helpless.

“Guys there is no need for that.” Tim pipes up, because Jason is absolutely crazy enough to fight his way out of here. With Tim over his shoulder, it’s a toss-up whether or not he will manage it.

“It’s the Red Hood.” Beast Boy sounds wary, edging towards scared. Yeah, Jason’s persona has a reputation. Tim’s been using it to get intel on the Light. Jason claims he’s done, that he got all they needed, but…

“Damn you so much Jay.” Tim hisses under his breath. Keeping secrets from the team is never ideal. But so far, nobody has found out about Red Hood’s connection to the bats and birds. It has opened so many doors. Even Ra’s still thinks Jason is their enemy. Tim is about to lose a valuable tool. It sucks.

“This is on you. We could be out of here with not a soul the wiser if you had just come along quietly.”

“You’re the kidnapper here.” Tim’s whisper is more of a low growl.

“And you’re the workaholic, what’s your point?”

“Robin, what is going on?” Blue Beetle asks.

“I just need to borrow the bird for a while. You will have him back in two weeks tops, good as new. Scouts honor.” Jason’s words would be more believable if he kept the sarcasm out of his voice. The voice modulator only does so much to hide it.

“Forgive us if we don’t take your word for it.” M’gann melts out of the wall behind them, Tim pulling up his torso to look at her. There is also the sound of running feet from the hallway. Beast Boy must have summoned his sister and whoever she was with.

Tim only has a moment to worry about Jason’s mind, confession on the tip of his tongue. When M’gann clutches her head with a scream, sliding down against the wall. Tim wonders what memory caused that effect. Jason has a small arsenal of truly horrible ones. The thought has him wincing.

“What did you do to my Angelfish?” Great, La’gaan sounds furious. 

“Maybe we should just tell them,” Tim whispers. This day is starting to give him a headache or maybe that’s the two hours of sleep he got last night catching up with him. Tim needs a coffee.

“Where’s the fun in that?” In one swift movement, Jason has him off the shoulder and pressed against his chest, arm bulking under Tim’s weight. There is a gleam of metal as a blade is pressed against his throat. The pressure just short of breaking the skin.

“How about all of you back away slowly before this bird loses more than a few feathers.”

Tim is so done, he’s never going to hear the end of this. At least Jason lets his feet touch the ground again. The three heroes are looking at them wide-eyed, M’gann still on the floor.

“Do you think I’m bluffing?” Jason growls out. Tim knows he is down to his very bones. But Jason’s voice is pure steel, the hand holding the knife steady. If Tim did not know for certain his older brother would rather die than hurt him, he would buy his threat.

The team believes him too. Blues canon melts back into his regular armored hand. Beast Boy is looking at him wide-eyed, tail swiping back and fort almost frantically behind him. La’gaan is tending to M’gann, still looking murderous, but making no aggressive moves. M’gann is just staring blankly at the floor, tears slowly leaking down her cheeks. What the hell did Jason share with her?

“That’s better.” Jason’s other hand slowly reaches down and cuts the rope around Tim’s ankles. Good thing pretty much all Jason’s knives are something else, because of course the rope is reinforced. What else would his brother use?

“We are just going to walk out of here nice and easy and nobody is going to get hurt.” Tim takes the hint and slowly begins walking towards his two teammates, who are currently blocking the exit. Jason keeps the knife at his neck, but nobody else notices how careful he is to not even nick the skin as they move.

Blue Beetle mutters something under his breath, meaning the scarab is shockingly not on board with this. Before he says. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

“Well, I beg to differ.”

“Both the Team and the League will be after you.” Beast Boy warns. Both him and Blue slowly backing away as they near. Maintaining the distance. Still between them and the exit. La’gaan hasn’t moved, as far as Tim can tell. Besides sitting down to cradle M’gann in his arms.

He can feel Jason roll his whole head alongside his eyes. “That’s kinda a given kids, doesn’t mean they are going to find me.”

“Batman and Nightwing will never stop looking.” Normally Blue would have a point. But both Bruce and Dick have been on his case about getting more rest recently. There is an annoyingly high chance of them letting Jay get away with it, as soon as they figure out his vacation plan. Jason has probably already told at least Alfred about it.

“Then it’s a good thing I plan on giving the babybird back at some point.”

“Why are you even doing this?”

“That’s for me to know.” The smirk is audible in even the mechanical voice of the helmet. ”And for you to lose sleep guessing about.”

Tim resists elbowing Jason in the ribs, now he’s just being a jerk for the sake of it.

“Hood wants me to hack something for him, didn’t say what.” Tim hopes the lie will leave the team less worried while he’s gone. It’s really starting to look like a vacation is unavoidable. This will be hell to explain once he gets back. But maybe he can pull it off without blowing Jason’s cover. That would be nice.

“I have dealt with him before, I’m going to be fine.”

“That dude decapitated eight drugs lords hermano.” Blue Beetle sounds all kinds of skeptical. That’s the part of Red Hood’s reworked profile people tend to remember. B has the team read up on all the major players. 

“Do Robin look like a drug dealer to you?” Jason asks, and continues so low only Tim can hear him and in the most infuriating tone possible. “Anything I need to know about Replacement?”

“No.” Tim hisses out.

“So you’re only addicted to caffeine?”

“I’m not addicted!” It’s a fight to keep his lip movement to the bare minimum and his voice low enough to hide their conversation from the team. Good thing Conner is spending the day on the Kent farm.

“All evidence points to the contrary Replacement.”

“Fuck. You.” Tim growls out. They are nearly there. Beast Boy and Blue either have to open the outer ramp, or have their back against the wall. Neither is a good option in the situation. The sound of movement fades down the hallway behind them. La’gaan must have decided to get M’gann out of here.

Nobody answers Jason’s question and the way the team’s eyes roam over them has started to become somewhat frantic. Tim knows they have been looking for an opening this whole time. But Jason is too good to leave one, and Tim is not currently invested enough in his own freedom to try creating something they can use.

Jason is dead set on that vacation and a stubborn asshole to boot. Even by bat standards. Even if Tim manages to get away, his big brother will just track him down again in the near future. Probably the next time Tim crashes and has to go to sleep. Jason is not above using sedatives. So Tim would not be all that surprised if he woke up in some resort halfway around the world.

“Why don’t you guys be good hosts and open the door for us?” Jason inclines his head slightly towards the control panel on the wall. Beast Boy and Blue exchange a look, but when Jason angles the knife to catch the light, Blue Beetle reluctantly moves towards it.

“You’re not getting away with this.” Beast Boys’ hands are curled into shaking fists. Tim feels bad about how worried he looks. The team is going to kick Tim’s ass when they find out the truth.

“I’m going to be fine.” He tries to reassure them once more. Nobody looks like they believe him. On the other hand, Tim would probably still try to reassure them, even if he wasn’t actually going to be perfectly fine.

“Didn’t we already establish this?” Jason rolls his eyes. “The little birdy uses his hacking skill to help a fella out and you get him back in tip-top condition.”

“We better.” Blue hits the final bottom and the ramp starts to lower. “Or it’s you’re head on the chopping block ese.”

“That threat would be a lot scarier if you guys ever actually killed anyone.”

“If anything happens to Robin. We might make an exception for you.” Beast Boy growls out. Tim knows they won’t and he wouldn’t want them to. But the sentiment is still appreciated and leaves a warm feeling in his chest. Tim bites back a smile, now is so not the time for it.

“Doubt it or bats would have killed the Joker last time one of his little birds bit the dust.” Jason’s voice sounds surprisingly level, but it’s always harder to tell when he’s wearing the helmet. 

The ramp stops lowering, it’s fully down. Jason puts his free hand on Tim’s shoulder. Tim desperately wants to look at Jason’s face, but a gentle squeeze is all the indication he gets that his brother is okay. Tim knows Jason has come a long way, especially since his murderer ‘mysteriously vanished’, but still wants to gather him up in a hug. Where is their affection leech of a big brother when you need him?

The silence hangs heavy in the air as Jason starts to march them towards and up the ramp. Constantly turning around so they are facing the other two as they pass them. The duo of heroes is staring at them wide-eyed, Beast Boy’s mouth hanging slightly open, as him and Jason walk backwards up the incline.

Tim wonders if they know any details, having both joined the team after Jason’s death. Knows that the second Robin’s death is not common knowledge outside the hero community. A few villains know, since Joker liked to brag. Some people know the mantle passed on to a new boy, but a lot still think he and Jason are the same person. There are even people who firmly believe there has only ever been one boy wonder.

Hopefully, this doesn’t lead to questions he can’t give a truthful answer to.

Tim doesn’t know if it was on purpose, but Jason’s words do a good job of distracting the other two. He and Jason make it fully outside, with no attempt made to stop them. The heroes only seem to shake it off, when Jason barks another order.

“Good, now close it again.” 

Blue hesitates and Tim can feel a few drops of blood running down his neck. Except he hasn’t been cut, there is no pain. Tim tries futilely to get a look at his own neck. Jason must have either had fake blood on him, doubtful, or cut himself. It’s enough to spur Blue Beetle on and the ramp quickly goes up again.

“We are coming for you hermano.” Blue says just as it closes.

Jason removes the knife the second they’re out of sight. It vanishes back into one of his hidden pockets. But his brother keeps a firm hand on Tim’s shoulder. His bound hands are starting to tingle a little.

“You’re hurt.” Tim twists around trying to get a look at the cut, but Jason waves him off.

“It’s just a scratch, I’ve got worse papercuts changing pages.”

“And what you just said?”

“I’m fine Timbo.” Jason’s free hand messes up his hair. “B doesn’t kill, I know and I’m over it.”

Tim bits his lip “you could talk to Dinah if-”

“Who needs a shrink when you have Alfred and the rest of you?” Jason runs a gloved hand through Tim’s hair again, probably making it stick up wildly on purpose. “I’m dealing kid. I’m getting better one day at a time.”

Tim lets the topic drop because Jason actually sounds sincere. Tim has also witnessed his brothers progress firsthand and is so proud of him for it.

Jason fishes a small tablet out of his pocket and lets Tim get a good look at the code, as he puts the mountain in lockdown mode with a few keystrokes. Trapping anybody who’s inside it. Another sequence of code shuts down any communication.

“Should buy us some time.” Jason vanishes the device much the same way he did the knife and directs Tim towards the forest. He briefly considers putting up a fight, but Tim highly doubts he’s going to win it and he rather likes moving on his own power.

“Where are we going?”

“I left my bike near here.” Jason gestures between the tree trunks. “We should be gone by the time they make it out of the mountain.”

“This is so going to come back to bite you.”

“Probably.” Jason doesn’t sound bothered at all.

“And me too,” Tim grumbles.

“Sounds like a you problem.”

“I will make it your problem.”

Jason smirks “bring it Replacement.”

A dark figure drops down from the trees in front of them and Tim feels a new hope ignite in his chest. No way Jason can beat Dick while dragging Tim along. His brother may come back for him later, but Tim can get a lot of work done in the meantime. If he makes sure to nap in secure enough places he might avoid Jason for weeks.

Tim can feel himself smirking when Dick walks up to them.

“La’gann sent out a distress signal, said Red Hood was kidnapping Robin.” Dick looks both of them up and down. “So what is going on?”

“The little shit refuses to take a vacation, so I had to take drastic measures in use,” Jason says, before Tim has a chance to tell his side. His indigent splutter of, “I’m busy,” goes ignored by both of them.

“By kidnapping him?” Dick raises an eyebrow.

“Do you have a better idea?” Jason asks, gesturing to Tim. “I’m currently out of sufficient blackmail material and no bribe is good enough to get him to take time off.”

“Tim?” Dick sends him a questioning look.

“I’m busy. I have at least five cases that need to be solved as soon as possible. There are rumors about a shipment of weapons hitting the docks next week and Jason said he has-”

“See?” Jason cuts him off.

“So no vacation?”

“I don’t have time for it!” Tim exclaims. Are none of them paying attention?

Dick slowly nods, before shifting his eyes to Jason. “Proceed with your kidnapping.”

Tim feels his mouth form an o, before he sends his oldest brother a betrayed look. “You’re just going to let him take me?”

“You really could use a break babybird.” Dick ruffles his hair, ignoring how Tim snaps his teeth at him.

“I hate you. Both of you.” He growls out. Tim also hates how that has his older brothers exchanging a look before laughing at him. Dick ruffles his hair again and nimbly evades the kick Tim aims at his shin.

“You two better get out of here before anybody else shows up.”

“What are you going to tell them?” Tim asks. They managed to get this far with Jason’s cover intact, shame to ruin that now.

Dick shrugs “you guys were already gone when I got here, such a shame.”

“And when they wonder why you aren’t frantically looking for me for the next week?”

“Two.”

Tim glares at Jason “one week.”

“I went through all this hassle to get you, we're definitely vacationing for two weeks.” He squeezes Tim’s shoulder. “But I will let you pick how and where we spend the second one, as long as it’s nothing work-related.”

“I will just pretend to be slowly losing my mind looking for you, spending all my time in the Batcave looking for clues on the computer.” Dick winks. “Meanwhile B and I will split your workload, so you have nothing to stress about on your vacation.” Dick sends him a big self-satisfied smile.

“Think you can pull it off?”

“Have some faith in my acting abilities.”

“And when the-” Tim glares at Jason “two weeks are up, then what?”

“The clever little bird managed to get free and stop my darstly plan of something or another in the process.” It’s Jason’s turn to ruffle his hair. “We can end the trip by blowing something up and have Wing come pick you up. How does that sound for a cover story?”

“I guess it could work,” Tim grumbles.

“Have fun you two.” Dick pulls them into a lingering group hug. “I expect to see pictures and be updated at least once a day.”

“Mother hen.” Jason flicks Dick on the nose when he lets them go. “Alfred already packed for Timmers, I’m sure he remembered the camera.”

Tim has to amid, if only to himself, that having time to take pictures for no purpose other than he enjoys it, does sound nice. Lately, most of them have been of crime scenes, only a few of his family sneaking in here and there.

“Had him pack yours two?” Dick asks with a teasing lit to his voice. 

“Like you’re a functioning adult.” Jason captures Dick’s head with an arm around his neck and quickly proceeds to give him a noogie. “No one should eat that much cereal.” The acrobat twists out of his hold in seconds.

“I brought my things over there earlier.” Jason claps an arm around Tim’s shoulder. “We’ll just swing by the manor for the luggage and the batplane. Then we’re off.”

“Did you ask B if you could borrow it?”

Jason smirks “where is the fun in that?”

“I will try to get a picture of his face when he finds out.”

“Much appreciated.” Jason’s voice is full of predatory glee.

“Unless you two want to call the whole thing off, we better get out of here before the League figures out something is wrong,” Tim states dryly.

“Nice try babybird, but this is happening.”

“See you in two weeks.” Dick gives each of them another quick hug. “Be safe and have fun.” He musses up Tim’s hair one last time, before melting into the shadow of a tree trunk. Only leaving an eerie laugh behind. Some things never change. 

Tim hairs must look like a bird's nest at this point. What is it with his big brothers and ruffling it? Bruce does it too. He can’t even try to get it under control with his hands like this. Tim turns towards his remaining brother.

“So where, exactly, are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Of course it is.” Tim rolls his eyes.

“Come along grumpy, before I decide to carry you again.”

“Don’t you dare!” Tim shrieks. Jason lets out a hum and Tim marches off in the direction he pointed earlier, before Jason picks him up again just to spite him. His brother’s laugh fills the forest behind him.

Jason finally takes the rope off after Tim promises that he is going along with the plan and won’t strike the second Jason’s guard is down. He even means it. With Dick agreeing to this it's truly a lost course.

Jason insists Tim sits in front of him on the bike. 

Tim leans back against Jason’s chest and can feel hints of body heat though the armor. His brother still smells like their nightlife, but it’s a familiar scent. The bike roars to life under them. Wind hitting the visor of his borrowed helmet. Tim slumps back further and feels himself start to drift. Strong arms keeping him in place. 

His big brother is a comfortable presence at his back.

Maybe a vacation isn’t such a bad idea after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I love it when the bat’s confuse people, especially their allies. Sadly I have a bit of a hard time finding new fics with that general theme. So if anybody has read some good ones, please tell me about them in the comments 😁
> 
> Until then; guess write what you want to read.
> 
> Just pointing out that therapy is absolutely a good idea if you have been through something traumatic or otherwise feel like you need it. But this is Jason and he would probably rather pour his heart out to his grandfather.  
> That part was more angsty than I wanted it to be, but it just sorta happened.😅 
> 
> Thank you guys so much for the support on this fic, it really means the world to me😄
> 
> A sequel is now being planned, so if you have any suggestions for it, leave them in the comments below. No promises though😉  
> BTW I plan to make it as another fic in a series, if that means something for how you guys plan to find it🙂


End file.
